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Commander in Chief

S1-E1 Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis

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Review

by David Brown

This is a history lesson in the style of a movie trailer. We have gravelly narration, dates and times blipping across the screen, even a drum-heavy soundtrack. But when it does stop to take a breath, you learn fresh titbits about the Cuban Missile Crisis, thanks to recently released tapes of the meetings that highlight the strained relationship between the president and military top brass.

Summary

The stories behind key military decisions US presidents have had to make. The first episode looks at how John F Kennedy dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, when the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war over the siting of warheads on the Caribbean island.

Documentary

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